Chapter 172
Chapter 172. Ambush (6)
“Jerry, how are you feeling?”
“I’m all better now! Look!”
In response to someone’s question, Jerry slapped her palm against the scar on her side that had healed.
The mages had quickly restored her injuries with recovery magic.
Though the side effects of such rapid healing left marks that wouldn’t disappear and added fatigue to her body, that was no great burden for her.
“No more acting solo from now on!”
“Whaaat?! No way!”
“Don’t forget you’re a precious asset to us. If you get hurt again, it’ll be a problem.”
“That’s just too harsh! Hwaaaang!”
Jerry pretended to cry, dramatically placing her hands near her eyes, seemingly in shock.
Then she noticed the person who had given her the command frowning intensely and quickly lowered her hands.
“Okay, okay! I won’t do it again.”
“Glad you understand.”
“Now you need to tell us what happened!”
“Didn’t I share everything when we got back?”
“… You just kept saying it was fun before heading off to get treated.”
“Ah-ha.”
Jerry recounted the events that had unfolded at Yeosu Airport to her companions.
How Park Jae-kyung’s party, including Yoon Do-ha, had ambushed the airport.
And how a number of heroes had entered Yeosu without being tracked.
“Did that Park Jae-kyung come?”
“If we mess this up, our plans could go awry.”
“I can see why Jerry got hurt now.”
Considering she had confronted Yoon Do-ha’s party alone, it was somewhat understandable that Jerry had gotten injured.
But Jerry shook her head and said, “I didn’t get hurt fighting Park Jae-kyung.”
“What? Then what in the world happened?”
“I got hurt while I was fighting… my dear?”
“Your dear?”
“…?!”
One of the men listening to the story felt chills run down his arms.
A woman like Jerry, who seemed a bit off her rocker, called a hero such an intimate term?
“Who’s this ‘dear’ of yours?”
“Spirit Master Yoo Ji-han.”
“… Ah. You meant that new Spirit Master.”
“But even so, he’s just a Rank 3 beginner, right? You were beaten by him?”
“Our dear can’t be judged by numbers!”
“…”
“Please, if you see him, just capture him alive, okay? I’ll ask nicely!”
With a thud.
Jerry even knelt on the ground requesting the capture of Yoo Ji-han.
Those witnessing this for the first time took a step back in surprise.
This uncontrollable whirlwind of chaos actually kneeled to someone else!
Someone lost in thought then spoke up.
“If you capture him, what will you do?”
“I’ll put a collar on him and make him stay by my side for life.”
“… A collar?”
“Preferably a big one with a bell, right? Hehe…!”
Jerry’s eyes sparkled as if enchanted by something.
Seeing her with an excited expression even swallowing her own drool made the people from another world curious about what kind of person this hero Yoo Ji-han was.
*
Yoo Ji-han, upon opening his eyes, rubbed his itching ears.
“Ji-han, over here.”
“Thank you.”
He took the water bottle offered by Min Yu-ri and gulped down a mouthful.
Then he looked up at the Sylph floating in the air.
It was still emitting a soft glow around its sphere.
‘Will it speak soon?’
If he could communicate with the Sylph, there were many questions he wanted to ask.
Such as stories related to his former contractee, Erna Hass.
Or whether it was satisfied with the treatment it received.
‘Not being able to communicate makes it hard to know.’
Having entered into a lifelong contract, he wished to forge a closer relationship with the spirit.
Soon after, he rose from his seat and approached the spot where the Isekai people bound in robes were held.
In front of him was Park Jae-kyung waiting.
“Have you finished?”
“Yes.”
“And what’s the result?”
“We got quite a bit of useful information. And… ”
Yoo Ji-han pointed at a man who had lost both arms and said, “That person is a murderer responsible for the deaths of at least 50 innocent civilians.”
“… 50? You mean 50?”
“Yes. The other Isekai people next to him also killed more than 10 each.”
As the conversation made the suspicious man raise his head, Yoo Ji-han looked at his greatly gaunt face and said, “Dania wouldn’t have wanted to see you fall like this.”
“You… you…! Where did you hear that name?!”
The name of his deceased daughter, which no one else knew!
When it spilled from Yoo Ji-han’s mouth, the man’s face turned to horror.
He never imagined that the hero attacking him would mention his family.
“How do you know Dania?”
“Why? Surprised?”
“Answer me!!”
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The man began to thrash about, bound by the legs, revealing his furious rage at Yoo Ji-han for casually mentioning his daughter’s name.
Thud!
Park Jae-kyung plunged her sword into the man’s heart.
“Gak…!”
“Lord Kephal!”
As the other bound Isekai folks gasped in shock at the scene, Park Jae-kyung whispered softly.
“You worthless scum don’t deserve to live.”
The man’s head drooped helplessly.
One of the elite among humans of Ajesia had thus lost his life.
“Uwaaaah!! You bastard!”
“I’ll hate you even in death…!”
“Do as you wish.”
Swoosh!
The Isekai people, after a fierce struggle, met the same fate.
Yoo Ji-han then talked with Park Jae-kyung after the execution.
“I’ve identified most of the hidden hideouts in Yeosu.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and I also gathered information related to Mokpo, Haenam, and Goheung. Most of it can be considered positional data.”
The memories of the man who had just lost his life contained quite a bit of vital information.
Among those, the locations of the hideouts of the Isekai people and the IUPC were now firmly stored in Yoo Ji-han’s mind.
“That’s… really impressive.”
Park Jae-kyung genuinely admired Yoo Ji-han, who was piecing together the enemy’s information.
At the same time, a shiver ran down her spine regarding the abilities he possessed.
Considering the events up until now, if someone with magic power entered his hands, all of their secrets would be laid bare.
“Let’s head back to the city hall and use the hotline again. We need to relay the information to the rear guard moving to another area.”
They were supposed to go to the location where they had promised to meet with Jung Young-wook’s party.
However, the place they arrived at was completely empty.
“Why isn’t anyone here?”
“Let’s wait a bit longer.”
The Jung Young-wook party hadn’t arrived at the agreed location on time.
The group searching the surroundings hid for a moment in the same spot.
However, after another 15 minutes passed, Jung Young-wook’s party still did not show up.
“I guess there’s no other choice.”
In the end, Yoo Ji-han headed towards the Turtle Ship where he had separated from Jung Young-wook’s party.
But as he moved, he found traces of an intense battle by the roadside.
Bloodstains scattered everywhere and monster carcasses lay about.
Kim Si-hu, investigating the residual magic left at the scene, said with a grim expression, “This is definitely Young-wook’s magic.”
It was the Jung Young-wook party that had fought here.
Biting his lower lip, Kim Si-hu pondered the whereabouts of the missing Jung Young-wook.
“… Let’s move for now.”
Ultimately, Yoo Ji-han ignored the disappearance of Jung Young-wook’s party and moved towards the city hall.
As he contacted the Hero Department through the hotline again, a representative who had been on standby 24/7 answered the call, shocked at the information he heard through the sampling.
—Is this information for real?
“There’s enough reason to investigate.”
Though there were doubts about the information’s authenticity, both leader Park Jae-kyung and Yoo Ji-han spoke confidently.
“And there’s a location nearby where about 4,000 IUPC members have gathered.”
—4,000, you say?
“You can assume each of them can control at least two monsters. It’s the largest scale among the IUPC spread out across the regions.”
4,000 members who had completed their awakening.
They had hoarded monsters and were now training together in one location.
Roughly 10,000 monsters would be at their disposal.
Such a massive force was preparing for war from their hidden lair.
“They plan to attack up to Seoul via a detour around tomorrow.”
—That’s…!
“We must stop them at least here, even if we can’t in other areas.”
Yoo Ji-han insisted they attack the IUPC before they left Yeosu.
At this point, the number of heroes gathered in the city hall, scattered and disbanded, was barely around 10.
Though Yoo Ji-han thought this number was insufficient to face the approaching 10,000 troops, he looked at Park Jae-kyung and asked, “Is it doable?”
“I’m ready.”
Even against overwhelming enemies, Park Jae-kyung showed no sign of backing down.
Knowing her capabilities, Yoo Ji-han nodded in response.
*
Deep underground, in a vast space reminiscent of a huge gymnasium.
IUPC members who had awakened in Yeosu gathered in a place that outsiders would never notice.
“Mei!”
Buzz!
At the call of a woman, a hornet larger than her flew over.
She lovingly petted the hornet named Mei, who remained still.
Many animals and plants around them also obeyed the commands of the humans.
“Only one day left until our day of reckoning!”
“It’s time to spread our wings and fly!”
This world, where monsters had been ruthlessly wiped out, was now the life the IUPC had joined to resist.
The actions of attacking the world using monsters were taking form.
“This sacred resistance movement will be recorded widely for generations to come!”
“Tomorrow, we are reborn!”
“Waah—!!”
They were in high spirits, one day before the attack.
For those who declared themselves as the resistance, this world was merely an embodiment of evil.
They even perceived the killing of fellow humans as a trial bestowed upon them.
“Drink! Drink! Drink!”
“Chug! Chug! Chug!”
They joyously poured the premium liquor provided by the IUPC into their mouths, enjoying a frenzied party.
But then, amid the ongoing celebrations—
Boom!
A loud sound erupted from the firmly shut entrance.
All conversations ceased as the gazes of the members turned towards the entrance simultaneously.
Bang!
A thick iron door measuring a whole meter thick was blown apart.
Through the opened entrance, Yoo Ji-han and his group emerged.
“Chirp chirp…!”
Chilla, carrying a shield, sniffed as he walked over to the entrance.
The intense smell of alcohol wafted from inside.
As heroes donned in combat gear made their entrance, the expressions of the IUPC members distorted in fear.
“They’re the enemy.”
“It’s an enemy attack!”
“How did those guys get here…?”
Tension descended into the space where the raucous party was taking place.
The IUPC members stood ready with their assigned monsters at the forefront to face the heroes.
“You think you can match us with just the likes of you?”
“How arrogant!”
Seeing the heroes come through the entrance, jeers erupted from the crowd.
Just then, Park Jae-kyung stepped forward, wielding her sword.
Boom!
An orange pumpkin was placed on her head.
The jack-o’-lantern with a silly face and holes in it represented her unique skill, Jack o’ Lantern.
‘I never thought I’d see this up close.’
Yoo Ji-han followed closely behind Park Jae-kyung.
From now on, for exactly 20 minutes, it was time for him to return to the long-lost role of a supporter.
